Like most of you, I have a drill press that came with a chuck key that had the little flat end on the handle where your thumb pushes against it, and the “stick” end was just too small and way too short for leverage. Looked like this…...

I have hated that thing forEVER, and I finally did something about it.

I knocked out the handle from the key and found a fully threaded bolt that fit almost perfect. Cut it to about 4.5” long and tightened a nut on both sides so it wouldn’t move. Used it for a couple days to be sure I liked the feel of it and I’m glad I did, because I did extend the thumb end just a skosh. After I was satisfied with it, I put on 3 layers of plastic heat-shrink tubing. The heat shrink gives it just enough cushion so the threads dont dig into my fingers.

Here’s a couple views. ......Thanks for looking, and feel free to use the idea on your own chuck key. .

The old late 1940’s, early 1950’s Craftsman drill press (still in use in my farm shop, came out of a small cabinet shop about 1953) came with a far bigger key with a big thumb flat on it.BTW, for drill-presses I use old speaker magnets as a place to “stick” the chuck key. It’s always in one place and easy to use. Just slap the magnet in a handy spot and use. On the one in the farm shop I also keep a couple of center drills stuck on it.

I saw a little wood handle on a youtube channel a while ago that I’ve been meaning to make. If I remember correctly it slides of the part you removed to make it less painful. It also extended the length a little to give you more leverage. If I ever find the video again, I’ll post it.

-- Nathan, TX -- Hire the lazy man. He may not do as much work but that's because he will find a better way.

Interesting that you posted this Joe.Just this past weekend I was just looking for a keyless chuck for my drill press. I have them on all my drills and i figured it would be a good idea for my drill press also. Grizzly has a variety of them available

-- Wood for projects is like a good Fart..."better when you cut it yourself"

good ideawish I could photoshop an axe handle on the drill chuck key to kid you a bit,oh well you ll just have ti imagine it. :))

- a1Jim

An internet friend I respect on another group is a serious stickler for accuracy in setting stuff up. I like to keep him on an even keel by posting a picture of one of my hatchets with a dial indicator duct-taped to the side of it.:-)

Hey Joe (there is a great old song by that title, covered by a zillion groups) great idea for gaining additional leverage. I do have a question for you and the rest. How often do you find that you have a problem getting the chuck on your drill press to adequately hold the bit? I have a Delta floor model drill press and my chuck key looks like your original picture but perhaps a bit beefier. I have occasionally had a problem with very small diameter bits getting caught between two of the jaws rather than in the center of the three, but I can’t ever recall not being able to tighten the chuck enough to hold the bit without slipping. Perhaps you really do need a new chuck for your drill press. Something might be preventing the jaws from seating properly.

The chuck on my drill press is a Jacobs, and is over 25 years old. It’s not that I could never get the chuck tight enough, but I have arthritis in my hands now and the old (smaller) key was getting harder to grip. The “fixed” version just makes it easier on my hands. This chuck will hold a 1/16” drill bit with no problems.

Oh and I can tell you what not to do !! DO NOT attach a small chain from the drill press to the key, thinking that will keep you from losing the key. I did that once and somehow left the key in the chuck. Scared the crap out of me when that chain wrapped itself around the chuck when I turned it on!

Oh! Didn’t know the purpose. I get the arthritis issue. I am afraid that Father Time is catching up to me in that regard also. Not so bad thus far, but I do get my reminders from time to time that I am not a youngster anymore.

The chain experience sounds like a nightmare, but if nobody was injured it makes for a good story that others can learn from. Kind of like all those videos you see on the Internet where someone yells “watch this” and proceeds to do something very stupid and incredibly painful.